THE DAY'S DEVELOPMENTS

Published
5:30 am CDT, Friday, September 16, 2005

•Congressional action: Lawmakers work to assist hurricane survivors who need quick access to cash, housing and medical care. The House and Senate pass bills to let victims tap retirement accounts without penalty.
•Unemployment up: The Labor Department reports that the hurricane triggered the biggest one-week surge in jobless claims in nearly a decade.
•High water remains: Large sections of New Orleans remained accessible only by boat, and corpses could still be seen out in the open.
•Pumping progress: The Army Corps of Engineers said it is getting water pumped out of eastern New Orleans and nearby parishes faster than expected, and most of the area should be dry by the end of this month, or about a week earlier than previously estimated.